Abbotsford

How to Eat Local in the Fraser Valley

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Article and photos by Natalie Green.

We went on a road trip with Angie Quaale (@AngieQuaale) in anticipation of her book release Eating Local in the Fraser Valley. We were taken to 6 great locations in the Fraser Valley, specifically Langley and Abbotsford for a food lover’s road trip. We spent the day visiting these great locations:

  • Dead Frog Brewery: Latest Craft brewery to open up in Langley
  • Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store: This is a foodie’s paradise for all things gourmet
  • Milner Valley Cheese: Fresh goat cheese produced on the farm
  • Fraser Valley Cider Company: Traditional craft cider made in small batches using local BC apples
  • Maan Farms: Fresh farm market, hayride and more.   
  • Mt. Lehman Winery: One of most stunning views in the entire Fraser Valley

Here is a recap of the day and when you’re in the Fraser Valley, definitely check these places out.

Dead Frog Brewery

Dead Frog Brewery is currently relocating from their Aldergrove location to continue serving up craft beer in small artisan batches. They are set to open up very soon and when it’s open, there will be gourmet food and community events set up.

Well Seasoned

Well Seasoned is a gourmet food store with gadgets, cookware, and food products fit for all foodies. When strolling through the store, you’ll find something interested in every corner. I bought pesto noodles, edamame corn chips and was very tempted to buy wine cheddar.

Angie made us black corn, black bean salsa and her bacon beer beans, recipes that is in her upcoming book –Eating Local in the Fraser Valley.  The book is not only a recipe book, but a guide book to eating and being inspired by the Fraser Valley producers we have here.

Each recipe is tied down to a location and sometimes a season. The book is locally focused and explores the relationship between the producers featured in the book and the land. The food community is growing in Fraser Valley, as costs are more accommodating out in the country and makes for a quaint atmosphere.

Milner Valley Cheese

Milner Valley Cheese in Langley is a fifth generation family farm in Langley, who tries to do different things with their agriculture. They have 80 goats and follow a natural cycle of production. Did you know, in 2018 177 babies were born on this farm?

Memorable items to check out here are the goat milk gelato, which is very delicious. Creamy and smooth, it does not taste sharp or gamey. I would suggest having the hazelnut goat milk gelato. I also bought a make-your-own-cheese kit here ($39.95) and I am very excited to try the results of my own cheese. If only I had a cooler! Bring one and load up on cheese, milk and fresh lamb.

Fraser Valley Cider Company

Fraser Valley Cider Company creates traditional craft cider made in small batches using local BC apples.

Rachel Bolongaro gave us a tour and tasting of their ciders and shared some history on how they became to be. She had a long 20 year career as an engineer and was looking for a career change to challenge herself some more. After taking a cider making course, it clicked and Fraser Valley Cider Company was born. Three years into operations, they have produced over 30,000 litres of delicious cider.

They are family friendly as they have soda flights and a large field by the patio to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. They are also allow dogs and provide treats for them. The furniture on the patio was up-cycled by Rachel and looks great. My favourite ciders hands down were the soft, sweet, smooth Rosy cider and the crisp, quenching Elderflower cider.

Maan Farms & Winery

Maan Farms & Winery has unique events happening all the time on their farm. Have you ever seen goat yoga video online? They do goat yoga and you can do warrior pose right in front of real live goats. During Halloween, they even have the scariest corn maze according to DailyHive.

They are a family run business and Mama Maan knows how to shows guests a good time. As soon as we arrived, we were treated to sangria, samosas and a fun hayride.

When we returned, we had delicious butter chicken, chickpea curry, jasmine rice, madras spices, yogurt, fresh roti, hot sauces, and blueberry pies.

They’re all about making the farm an experience for people of all ages. Children can see the critters, adults can enjoy goat yoga and wine, and foodies can enjoy the selection of fresh and local produce or their country kitchen.

Mt. Lehman Winery

The last stop was Mt. Lehman Winery in Abbotsford. We had a wine tasting of their different varieties, but the ones that were memorable to me were the 2014 Cabernet Libre and the 2016 Pinot Noir.

The 2016 Pinot Noir had a spiced taste that was not too bold and I would like to pair it with some home-cooked salmon in the future.

I was impressed by the cellar– the string lights were not on, but my photographer mind bookmarked this place if I wanted to do photos for a wedding.

Stunning views of the winery and it’s the best view of the Fraser Valley with all the acres of farm land and mountains in the backdrop.

Not shabby with a glass in hand too.

Final Thoughts

A day trip around the Fraser Valley for a foodie adventure is wonderful and doesn’t take too long to get to. It’s about 45 minutes to 1 hour away from Downtown Vancouver, so with the weather being super gorgeous, you’ll definitely want to visit. There is lots to see and do in the area.

For more Fraser Valley inspiration, check out Angie’s book – Eating Local in the Fraser Valley

1 Comment

  1. Katrin M Cartwright Reply

    LOVE THIS POST! I’m from Coquitlam, but my husband and I recently purchased a home in Langley. I’m very excited to check out some of these local gems once we move.

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